ATTACHMENT STAGES

Stage 1: Indiscriminate attachment

SCHAFFER AND EMERSON STAGES OF ATTACHMENT

Stage 2: Beginnings of attachment

8 weeks- 4 months. Infants are comforted indiscrimtaely and show preferences for human company over non-human. Distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Stage 3: Discriminate attachment

5-7 months. Separation and stranger anxiety and from one specific attachment to a primary caregiver. Attach to mothers who respond quickly and sensitively to signals.

Stage 4: Multiple attachments

8 months- 1 year. Infants develop multiple attachments to several people such as siblings, father and grandparents.

Longtidiunal study of 60 infants from glasgow between 5-23 weeks old. Researchers visited every 4 weeks and reported infants response to separation and strangers, Used a 4 point scale of any protest intensity

Results: 50% infants showed separation anxiety. Attachment was most intense when mother responding quickly. 50 weeks, 80%-specific, 30%- multiple

Conclusion: There are distinct stages to developing attachment.

BIAS SAMPLE.

Infants are from a specific same from an area. Took place in 1960's when women were primary caregivers, Cohen et al research shows the stay at home dads has quadrupled over 25 years

CULTURE BOUND

Individualist vs collectivist cultures, we expect more multiple attachments in collectivist, Sagi at al compared infants raised in communal arrangements and family based. Closeness with mother almost doubled as common in family based arrangements. Suggests stages can only be applied to individualist cultures.

INFLEXIBLE

Some cultures multiple attachment may come before specific. Families may be judged as abnormal and difficult ti create stages if development which can be generalised.

ARE ALL TYPES OF ATTACHMENT EQUAL?

Bowlby argues infants have one special bond and secondary attachments are less significant. Rutter et al argued they are all equal and integrated to produce childs attachment type. Creates unreliability

UNRELIABLE DATA

Data collected was based on mothers reports of own infants. Variation in parenting approaches, some may be less sensitive to child's needs, less likely to report them Systematic bias which challenges validity of data.

0-8 weeks. An infant shows similar responses to objects and people ut shows preferences for for social responses. Reciprocity=ty and interactional synchrony are important.